With everything in place, Jim should by now have reached his goal of breaking into the 9s, right? Almost. Now in the low 10s, Jim is, in his words, "so close it's almost sickening!" At the end of the '05 racing season, he installed a new adjustable McLeod Soft Lok clutch assembly and some 1.8 rockers that will bump his lift to 0.774. "I'm sure this is going to be the ticket to a deep-9-second e.t.," Jim tells us. "The mph indicates I have the power to be in the 9.6-to-9.8 range . . . I just have to hook it up smoother. A clutch that slips a little and is adjustable is the key to making it all work."
Looking over Jim's car, one immediately notes the lack of NHRA-mandated safety equipment. Asked about the apparent oversight, Jim just smiles and says, "I am limited to which tracks let me run because I lack a full rollcage. I really hate to cut up the car to install one because it really is a street cruiser most of the time." And that's exactly what it is: just a little pump-gas cruiser-an "almost 9-second" one at that.
Special thanks to wife Karen and daughter Leyla for their support over the years; to Pat Topolinski, Casey Snider, and Judson Massengill at the School of Automotive Machinists (Houston); and, most importantly, to Jim's father who was always willing to push the car's limits at 140 mph.
| SPEC SHEET |
| CAR: | '67 CORVETTE |
| OWNER: | JIM MOORE |
| BLOCK: | MERLIN |
| DISPLACEMENT: | 540 CUBIC INCHES |
| COMPRESSION RATIO: | 11.06:1 |
| HEADS: | PORTED BRODIX 2XTRA |
| VALVES: | 2.30/1.88, STAINLESS STEEL |
| CAMSHAFT: | CUSTOM ENGLE SOLID ROLLER |
| | (266/272-DEGREE DURATION @ 0.050, |
| | 0.731/0.731-IN. LIFT, 112-DEG. LSA) |
| ROCKERS ARMS: | COMP CAMS ROLLER, 1.7 RATIO |
| PISTONS: | SRP FORGED |
| CRANKSHAFT: | CALLIES FORGED STEEL, 4.250-IN. STROKE |
| RODS: | SCAT 6.385-INCH FORGED H-BEAM |
| INTAKE MANIFOLD: | EDELBROCK SUPER VICTOR |
| CARBURETOR: | HOLLEY DOMINATOR 1050 ANNULAR |
| FUEL PUMP: | AEROMOTIVE A-1000 |
| IGNITION: | MSD 6 AND DISTRIBUTOR |
| ENGINE MANAGEMENT: | "MASH RIGHT FOOT" |
| EXHAUST SYSTEM: | HOOKER 21/4 INCH SUPER COMPETITION |
| | HEADERS; 3-INCH EXHAUST; DYNOMAX |
| | BULLET RACE MUFFLERS |
| TRANSMISSION: | G-FORCE GF5R FIVE-SPEED |
| | (3.25/2.22/1.65/1.33/1.00); |
| | CUSTOM H-PATTERN SHIFTER THAT FITS |
| | STOCK CONSOLE |
| CLUTCH: | MCLEOD SOFT LOK ADJUSTABLE |
| | SINTERED IRON; 22-LB. STEEL FLYWHEEL |
| DRIVESHAFT: | 2.5X0.134 WALL STEEL; |
| | SPICER 1350-SERIES SOLID U-JOINTS |
| FRONT SUSPENSION: | VETTE BRAKES & PRODUCTS 550-LB. |
| | SPRINGS; COMPETITION ENGINEERING |
| | ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS; ENERGY SUSPENSION |
| | POLYURETHANE BUSHINGS |
| REAR SUSPENSION: | VETTE BRAKES &PRODUCTS CUSTOM |
| | LEAF SPRINGS; QA1 12-WAY ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS |
| REAR END: | CUSTOM-BUILT DANA 60 IRS; |
| | 3.07 RING-AND-PINION |
| FRONT BRAKES: | STOCK W/MUSKEGON CALIPERS |
| REAR BRAKES: | STOCK W/MUSKEGON CALIPERS |
| WHEELS: | AMERICAN RACING TORQ-THRUST II |
| | (15X7-IN. FRONT, 15X8.5-IN. REAR) |
| FRONT TIRES: | 215/65R15 BFG RADIALS |
| REAR TIRES (STREET): | 275/60R15 BFG RADIALS |
| REAR TIRES (TRACK): | 28X10.5-IN. MICKEY THOMPSON |
| FUEL OCTANE: | 93 (STREET AND RACE) |
| WEIGHT: | 3,620 LBS. |
| BEST E.T./MPH: | 10.04 SECONDS @ 141.26 MPH |
| BEST 60-FOOT TIME: | 1.41 SECONDS |
| CURRENT MILEAGE: | A LOT! |
| MILES DRIVEN WEEKLY: | APPROXIMATELY 200 |